The latest Chicago Bulls news, featuring a familiar foe coming to town for the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, Josh Giddey's incredible season and what Julian Phillips's career night could mean moving forward.
Play-In Tournament opponent becomes official
By way of a 119-89 win over the Washington Wizards, the Bulls guaranteed themselves the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference postseason and a(nother) date with the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament.
This will be the third straight year the two teams face off with a playoff spot on the line. In 2023, Chicago was the No. 10 seed and beat the Toronto Raptors to advance to game two of the Play-In before losing to Miami. Last year, the Bulls were the No. 9 seed and beat the Atlanta Hawks before falling to the Heat again to end their season.
Chicago is a different team this year, however, as it rolls into the postseason as one of the best teams in the NBA since the All-Star break. The Bulls won all three matchups with Miami this year.
The winner of this game will play the loser of a game between the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic and eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
Can Julian Phillips be a core piece of the Bulls' future?
Julian Phillips shined during the 2024 preseason, showing off his high-level athleticism, defensive potential and improved three-point stroke. That didn't fully carry over to the regular season, but the 21-year-old is still oozing with potential. He showed just how much in the win over Washington.
Phillips had a game-high 23 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from deep. He was also 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and added nine rebounds, six of which came on the offensive end.
The 35th overall pick in 2023 has all the necessary physical tools to become a top-level 3-and-D wing. He has size, length (6-foot-11 wingspan) and explosive athleticism. He played in 78 games this year, upping his three-point shooting average from 31.6 percent on 1.0 attempts a night as a rookie to 32.9 percent on 1.9 attempts as a sophomore.
Chicago doesn't have anyone on its current roster who brings what Phillips does to the table. If he continues to develop next year—he won't turn 22 until Nov. 5—the Bulls could have another key piece of their rebuilding puzzle.
Josh Giddey joins Hall of Famers in season accomplishment
Chicago has seemingly found a diamond in the sort-of rough with Josh Giddey this season. The 22-year-old has fixed his most glaring weakness by shooting 37.8 percent from three in 70 games this year, including a 45.7 percent mark since the All-Star break.
Giddey has totaled 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists this year; the only other players to reach those marks are LeBron James and Nikola Jokic.
1000 pts, 500 reb, 500 ast!
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 10, 2025
Josh Giddey just became the third player to reach these totals in the NBA this season.
The others: LeBron James & Nikola Jokic. pic.twitter.com/MBAsoL17xV
Giddey has developed into arguably the Bulls' best player and has guaranteed himself a massive contract this offseason, one that will likely come from Chicago. Next year will be the Aussie's fifth NBA season, but he won't turn 23 until just before the 2025-26 season kicks off.
The duo of he and Coby White looks to be locked in as the franchise's backcourt of the future.